Well casing joint



Jan. 9, 1951 P. s. SCHUDER WELL CASING JOINT Filed Aug. 30, 1948 INVENTOR. Paul ,SSC/:Ladez- LAZL @All HTTYS atented Jan. 9, 195i UNITELDH STATES PATENT ortica WELL" CASING JOINT;

Paul S; Schuder, Woodland, Ca1if. Application August 30, 1948,. Serial No.465891w vde a; quickflocleing; connectionffor thin-wall well fcasingi. which minimizes the. labor. required tosecurefastring off casing-together for inser.

tionin .a well.--`

Anotherpobiect of; the A invention Ais to.v` provide o quiokflocking..Connection, as.above.;which Ai11-` cludesk anovelsnap action, selfflocking assembly which becomesieffective ,upon Ycoupling of adja-` cent sections oipthewell casing; suchv assembly includingmeans to preventV relative y rotation of the ;seotions;.when so: Coupled..A

ItisA alsdan ,object-@frhe invention to provide;V

a .quoliflooking connection-.a for thin-wall, Woll.

casina: whiohgisvdesigno-difor ease. and. economy.

of manufacture.

A furtheeobjectotthe invention is to provide a practical, safe, and reliable quick-locking connection, for thin-.wall well'casing; which will be exceedinelyieiootiveffor..thepurpe for. which it is designed.'

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure Y and I'relative `arnangementof parts as willfully appear by a perusaleof the olloivill;

speflcationand claims.

In the drawings: e Fig.vh 1., isan elevation, partlyv infsection, of a length of thin-Wall Well casing., showingadjacent sections as initially separate but in alinement preparatory to coupling the same.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the sections coupled.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section showing a modified form of rotation preventing means, as used in the connection.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and at present to Figs. 1 and 2, the quick-locking connection is adapted to be employed between adjacent ends of sections I and 2 of sheet metal Well casing of thin-wall type.

A coupling sleeve 3 is engaged for substantially one-half of its length in close ntting, telescopic relation over the ,end portion oir the` seek-g.P tion yi ,of the casing, N

The couplingsleeve is;V permanently affixed, y, atthetime o f manufacture of the casing, to the..Y Sootion l.bvany Suitable moana Suoh Weld-- ing, as at 4, or by riveting (notfshown) Y When the quiclloigingconnectionis coupled., l the ioitiallvproieotine .haltgof-f.thosloovo. 3 fon,- gases for Substantially its. fllllerlghw Wthfaf. Close,`r or over-tho;-aoliaooot ond portion of the section 2 of the casing. n

Tae-following ooiok-lookineemeans iS .employed between the initially projecties-half? o ithe t ooue. llllgr Sleelfe; and' the; corfespodlg; en@ Poltionof ,theootopZ of tho-,Casina Said-- initially projecting half of the-sleeve 3A, and the adjacent end portion ofrtheisection 2, are formed with a. plurality Y, of` circumferential rows 4of pequally spaced snap catches, indicated. generally at 5; thefcorrespondingfsnapv catches 5 01.1. @aah f of i Sadtpartsj boing; Y, positioned for mainline engagement when tho-@oornootoo isdn@ engagement,"

Each? Snap @13911. 5-S formed. byeawlumf??? entialsIit-Gg ,one edgeof the metal along the sltl. being out-bent, as atel, while the metal-along`vv thenotherl-edge isili-bent,` as at... The ont-bent',n

edges l .faceaway fromL the Slion l,l whereas the, in-bent edges` 8 ,ffaceV toward said section. This l. slittingand.deformingof the metal. to form'theg snap catches-` 5 is effected.. during initial manu facture of -the casing and theY quick-lockingcon-fnection. When the initially projectinghalftof the cou; pllngsleeve, 3l is engaged intelescopic,v relation overfthe adjacent end portionfof the section.; ofi,y

the casing, the corresponoling` catches Ssnap into Y engagement with the out-bent edges 'i of the catches on section 2, abuttingagainst` the in-bentm edges `lof the catcheson thefcouplingsleeve. 3,-` With the parts so coupled, the length of casing 1s eiectively secured together; the coupling operation being one which can be accomplished by one man manually, and without the use of tools.

The snap catches 5 of each circumferential row thereo are in equally spaced relation, and to maintain matching snap catches 5 against separation by relative rotation of the sleeve 3 and section 2, the following rotation preventing means is employed:

At its initially free end the sleeve 3 is formed with a longitudinal, outwardly opening notch 9, which engages over a radially short, outwardly projecting rivet or pin lil on the section 2 when the cooperating parts of said sleeve 3 and sec- 3 tion 2 are in telescopic engagement, as previously described.

It will be recognized that when the pin lll is engaged in the notch 9, there can be no accidental relative rotation between said sleeve 3 and section 2.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a modification of a means employed to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve 3 and section 2; this modification comprising the following:

rlChe sleeve 3 and section 2, at least at one point in the circumference thereof, have outwardly deformed, longitudinal ribs Il thereon; such ribs being engaged in close tting matching relation when the sleeve 3 and section 2 aretelescoped for engagement of the corresponding snap catches 5. These cooperating ribs effectively prevent any relative rotation between the sleeve 3 and section 2 of the casing.

When a length of sheet metal well casing of thin-wall type is coupled together by the described quick-locking connection, it is effectively andsafely maintained against separation by the snap catches 5, although if necessity demands, the connection can be separated by applying relatively heavy longitudinal force in opposite directions to the sleeve 3 and section 2.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.,

While this specification sets forth in detail the presentand preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may beresorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A quick-locking connection for coupling between a pair of sheet metal well casing sections in end to end relation, said connection comprising a coupling sleeve on and projecting axially beyond the end of one casing section, the adjacent end portion of the other casing section being adapted to telescopically engage in the projecting sleeve, and matching, self-locking catches on the engaging portions of the sleeve and said other section; said catches being of snap type, and each being formed by a single circumferential slit with the metal along opposite edges of the slit being out-bent and in-bent, respectively.

2. A quick-locking connection for coupling between a pair of sheet metal well casing sections in end to end relation, said connection comprising a coupling sleeve on and projecting axially beyond the end of one casing section, the adjacent end portion of the other casing section being adapted to telescopically engage in the projectcomprising a coupling sleeve on and projecting axially beyond the end of one casing section, the adjacent end portion of the other casing section being adapted to telescopically engage in the projecting sleeve, matching, self-locking catches on the engaging portionsof the sleeve and said other section, and means between said engaging portions to prevent relative rotation of the sleeve and said other section.

4. A quick-locking connection for coupling be# tween a pair of tubular sheet metal well casing sections in end to end relation, said connection comprising a coupling sleeve on and projecting axially'beyond the end of one casing section, the

adjacent end portion of the other casing section being adapted to telescopically engage in the projecting sleeve, matching, self-locking catches on the engaging portions of the sleeve and said other section, and means between said engaging portions to prevent relative rotation of the sleeve and said other section; said means including a notch in the free end of the sleeve and a pin on said other sleeve adapted to engage in the notch. 5. A quick-locking connection for coupling between a pair of tubular sheet metal well casing i sections in end to end relation, said connection comprising a coupling sleeve on and projecting axially beyond the end of one casing section, the

. adjacent end portion of the other casing section being adapted to telescopically engage in the projecting sleeve, matching, self-locking catches on the engaging portionsof the sleeve and said other section, and means between said engaging portions to prevent relative rotation of the sleeve and said other section; said means including longitudinal ribs on the sleeve and said other section in matching engagement.

PAUL S. SCHUDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED sTATEsPATENTs Number Y VName Date 1,223,591 Layne Apr. 24, 1917 1,297,591 Prescott Mar. 18, 1919 1,661,674 Osborn Mar. 6, 1928 2,062,198 Rickerson NovA 24, 1936 

